Дорога 31 штата Нью-Джерси: История и развитие

Highway in New Jersey
the current New Jersey Route 31

Route 31 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It runs 48.93 mile (79 km) from U. S. Route 1 Business (US 1 Bus.) /US 206 in Trenton, Mercer County, north to an intersection with US 46 in Buttzville in White Township, Warren County. Along the way, Route 31 heads through the communities of Flemington, Clinton, and Washington. Most of the highway is state maintained; however, the section within the city limits of Trenton is maintained by the city. Much of Route 31 is a two lane highway that passes through farmland, woodland, and mountainous areas. Two portions of the route—from Trenton to Pennington and from Ringoes to Clinton—consist of more development. The highway was constructed from 1926 to 1935. Route 31 has carried two different numbers in the past. It was known as Route 30 between 1927 and 1953, when it was renumbered to Route 69 to avoid conflicting with US 30 in southern New Jersey. It was renumbered to Route 31 in 1967 due to sign theft that resulted from the sexual meaning of the number 69. There were plans made in the late 1960s and early 1970s to build a freeway in the Route 31 corridor that would begin in the Trenton area and extend as far north as Interstate 84 (I 84) in Port Jervis, New York; however, it was canceled in the mid 1970s due to opposition from area residents and environmental and financial constraints. In recent years, the portion of Route 31 between Flemington and Clinton has been widened to four lanes. In addition, there was a failed project to build a bypass of Flemington that would have also eliminated the Flemington Circle.

What is today Route 31 was defined in the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering as Route 30, a highway that began in Trenton and ended in Buttzville. In the 1953 renumbering, Route 30 was renumbered as Route 69, as the number conflicted with US 30 in southern New Jersey. The bypass of Ringoes, shared with US 202, opened in the 1960s. Due to the sexual meaning of the number and resulting sign theft, Route 69 was changed on June 5, 1967 to Route 31 beginning with sign swapping by state crews. The justification for the removal was that people were stealing signs as a trophy for dorm rooms because of their interest in the number 69. A limited access freeway was once planned to serve traffic along the Route 31 (then Route 69) corridor. Plans came forth in the 1960s for a highway to run along Route 69 from the in construction US 1 freeway (then designated Route 174) to the U. S. Route 202 freeway in Ringoes. The estimated cost to build the highway according to the proposal estimated to $18 million, with construction completing in 1975. There were plans to extend the freeway further in both directions, including northward to I 80 in Hope Township and southward to I 195. Each of these two extensions were brought forth in the 1960s, and were later shelved due to lack of support. In the early 1970s, a 36 mile (58 km) long extension of Route 31 was proposed from Oxford, connecting the highway with the proposed Route 23 freeway to I 84 near Port Jervis, New York. This northern freeway extension of Route 31 was to be known as Route F 31 and the Foothills Freeway, and was to run through the Kittatinny Mountains, passing through Stokes State Forest and High Point State Park. The proposal gave an estimated price tag of about $105 million (1970s USD). The northern freeway faced high opposition from residents living in Warren and Sussex counties, who feared environmental damage. A group called Opponents of the Foothills Freeway formed to prevent the road from being built. Along with the growing opposition, environmental and financial issues arose, causing the New Jersey Department of Transportation to cancel the Route 31 from being built mid 1970s. Following the completion of New Jersey's portion of I 287 in 1993, more out of state tractor trailer drivers began to use the alignment of Route 31 as a toll free alternative to the New Jersey Turnpike. On July 16, 1999, oversize trucks were banned from using Route 31 as part of a larger statewide ban imposed on New Jersey roads not a part of the National Highway System by then governor Christine Todd Whitman. The legislation had a significant effect on trucks that followed Route 31 as it forced them to use I 287 and the New Jersey Turnpike instead. In the mid 2000s, the portion of Route 31 was widened during extensive construction between Flemington and Clinton that widened the road to four lanes.

In 2005, the New Jersey Department of Transportation introduced a case study for Route 31 for its New Jersey: Future in Transportation project. Over time, the residents and business owners of Raritan Township and Flemington had growing concerns over the congestion along the highway and US 202. After trying to use vacant land to the east of the current alignment, the Department of Transportation put forth the Flemington Bypass, trying to relieve congestion on Route 31 along the commercial district and to provide access to the industrial land between the two highways and the South Branch Raritan River. The project was never completed and the proposed site remains undeveloped. The Department of Transportation is now looking at a scaled down bypass, proposed as the South Branch Parkway, to connect Route 31 to US 202 in Flemington. The parkway was to be built as a two lane alternative to Route 31 defining the border of the suburban and rural portions of Flemington Borough and Raritan Township. Along with the new parkway, a brand new local street network was proposed to help support the new alignment. These would minimize the pressure of traffic on Route 31 and include better roads for bicycles and pedestrians. More direct routes to different portions of the community would be provided to maintain the community's character. The proposed parkway was to also help upgrade the sensitive history along the river.